Prove it
by Little Miss Jigsaw
Summary: My take on the clip where Lizzie tells Jack it never would have worked out between them... Sparrabeth... Just a bit of pointless fluff, really... Minor spoilers if you haven't seen any of the trailers. R&R! oneshot


Another oneshot... My take on the "Keep telling yourself that darling" scene...

There are hints to the clip with Will and Liz on that island, as well.

Anyway... this was written in like 15 minutes, since the idea just smacked me upside the head and said "Hey! Write me!" when I saw someone on say that Liz could have just been challenging him to prove to her that it could work... In other words it's pointless J/E fluff :p

Enjoy.

Prove it

Elizabeth Swann stood amongst the crew of the Black Pearl, watching the captain intently. It had been three days, since she'd said goodbye to Will. As the captain of the Flying Dutchman, he couldn't set foot on land but once every decade. They'd bid each other a tearful farewell, and Will had left for his ship, to join his crew, and his father. She felt almost guilty about that goodbye...He'd sworn to return to her, every time he could step on land, promised to love her until the end of time... Yet she had not promised to be there, when he did return. She had not professed her undying love for him. Will seemed not to have noticed. It had been as if he'd taken it for granted... something that irked Elizabeth more than she cared to admit.

She was back in her pirate garb now... She'd worn a dress, the day Will had left, and she had replaced it with her real clothes (as she now referred to the pirate's clothes she wore) as soon as she had returned to the ship. Jack still maintained that she should wear a dress or nothing... and he always had _no_ dress in his cabin. Despite the fact that she should have been offended at such comments, they always made her smile. Even when she'd been crying over Will's departure, Jack had been able to make her laugh and smile.

They were now docked in Port Royal... Thankfully James Norrington had managed to get every crew member of the Pearl a full pardon... So, until they decided they wanted to attack the port, they were free to come and go as they pleased. But it had been one of the last things James had done. He was now lost to the depths of the sea, as many good men were. Both pirates, and Navy. But back to the matter at hand, it was almost time for Elizabeth to get off the ship, and return to her life as a pampered princess, while she waited for the day that Will returned... The thought was a sickening one... And she was ashamed that she thought it to be sickening in the first place...

She was still standing there... amidst the crew, not moving towards the doorway to her old life... He had asked a simple question. Why didn't she stay?

Why? Because she was supposed to be there when Will returned... But she'd made no promise to Will. She was not bound by her word to wait. So why not stay on the ship? Because she was afraid. Afraid of what might happen with Jack. What might happen if she were to become a permanent part of his crew...To have close contact with him, every day. She might end up betraying Will a third time (_The second does not count..._ she told herself fiercely, _ Jack kissed me, I had no control over it... I just...Kissed him back...for several minutes...okay, so it does count_). But again, she'd not made any promise to Will. She was not married to him, she'd not sworn to love only him, as he had sworn to love only her. She was free to do with her heart whatever she desired...And besides... It was partially her fault that the Pearl's crew wasn't now standing on the deck of the Black Pearl its self, but rather the ship that had been hers... The Empress. Jack was off to find _his_ ship, after this... But shouldn't she be helping to find his beloved ship? Of course... So why not stay?

Because...

"It never would have worked out between us," she said, trying not to let Jack hear the hesitation in her voice.

Jack smirked at her, "Keep telling yourself that, darling," he said.

Elizabeth stared at him a moment longer before turning on her heel and walking towards the dock. Jack turned as well, and headed up to the helm. Elizabeth suddenly stopped, and turned around again, "Jack!" she called.

Jack froze, and spun around, a confused look on his face, "Yes love?"

"Prove it."

"Prove what?"

"Prove that it could work out. Prove that you can be a good, and faithful man," in a slightly lower tone, she added, "Prove to me I'm not being foolish with my heart... You've got ten years, Jack. Is the great Captain Sparrow up to the challenge, or shall I leave now, and wait for a captain I know will keep his word?"

"The whelp," Jack said, trying hard to keep a smile off of his face, and failing, "Is no captain, my lady... You would only be waiting for a eunuch, if I allowed you to leave this ship... And Jack Sparrow is always up for a challenge, Lass."

That was as much of a yes as Elizabeth was going to get without a little more work, and she knew it. But why not actually get it out of him? "I didn't hear a yes or no in that, Mr. Sparrow, so, I bid you farewell, and wish you luck." She started to turn and leave again.

"Alright, alright, you infuriating wench! Yes! I'll prove it to you," Jack replied hastily, taking a few steps forward, as if to grab her and stop her from leaving.

The corners of Elizabeth's mouth turned up in a smile, "Very well then, Captain..." she faced him, "Feel free to start your persuasion at any time... Clock's ticking."

"Gents!" Jack called to his crew, "Set sail for Tortuga, the lady's joining us!" Jack called to his crew. They hurried to follow orders, though slightly reluctantly. "I thought I was to be showing you proof, miss Swann, not persuading you."

Elizabeth shrugged, and took a step closer, "You can do either, or both, Mr. Sparrow... Though I hope for your sake you do your job well."

"Alright then... For now, persuasion..."

"And how do you inten-" she was cut off when Jack grabbed her, and kissed her. Her first inclination was to shove him off and slap him... after all, what proper lady allowed a man to do that? But she wasn't a proper lady, so that thought was pushed from her mind as she kissed him back.

By the time Jack released her, Elizabeth had to keep a hold on his shoulders, for fear that she might collapse, "Next is proof..." she said breathlessly, while Jack only smiled. For a moment, Elizabeth felt guilty...It still almost felt like a betrayal to Will... But Will had sealed his own fate when he had stabbed that damned heart. He'd brought his fate upon himself. She would not let him drag her down with him. She was a pirate, and it was high time she started acting like one.

"So why Tortuga, Jack?" she asked, pushing all thoughts of her former love aside.

"Well, have to restock on supplies, Gibbs is gettin' off, I've got a couple friends I need to tell to bugger off, and, I've got to find a few new crew members...And since Gibbs is leaving, I thought I might persuade you to take up the position of first mate?"

"I believe this ship is mine, Captain Sparrow, so I will not be first mate... but I'll settle for co-captain. Do we have an accord?"

"Aye," Jack replied, "Now, to seal the deal..." he grinned mischievously, and kissed her again. This time they had gained an audience... The crew whooped, and whistled.

Elizabeth pulled away from Jack just long enough to shout, "Back to work, ye scurvy dogs!" before finding herself once again being kissed senseless by Jack Sparrow. The pirate she'd always dreamed of meeting... The pirate she'd longed to be with... Her Pirate. Her Captain. Her love.

END

Notice how I managed to work in references to the strumpet scene in tortuga? The one where Jack tells 'em to shut it, and that his ship is once again gone?


End file.
